Modernity, Time, and Control
In Around the World in Eighty Days, wealthy eccentric Phileas Fogg utilizes modern innovations in transportation to complete the once-impossible feat of circling the globe in under three months. The novel takes place in 1872, just after the Industrial Revolution. During this time, steam power, machine tools, and other technological marvels changed the way that human beings lived, worked, and traveled. New modes of transport such as steamships and trains allowed people to journey…
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Imperialism
When Around the World in 80 Days was published in 1873, the British Empire owned enormous swaths of territory throughout all seven continents and exerted significant cultural, economic, and technological dominance over the rest of the world. In the novel, Phileas Fogg and his companions travel to three British territories (India, Hong Kong, and Yokohama) as well as the American West, and find that these areas are a blend of Anglo-Saxon and native influences. From…
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Chance, Adventure, and Human Connection
The uncertainty of chance is a central force in the plot of Around the World in Eighty Days, as Phileas Fogg, a devout gambler, places a daring £20,000 wager on his ability to complete the dubious feat of circling the globe in eighty days. Both lucky and unlucky situations indiscriminately strike Fogg and his companions throughout their journey. Constantly teetering on the risky line between success and failure in his venture, Fogg receives…
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Honor, Reputation, and Duty
In Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg is considered “a gentleman of honor” and a man of his word among his acquaintances, despite his mysterious reputation. The novel takes place during the Victorian Era, when the notion of being a gentleman was highly esteemed and typically associated with a certain level of wealth and privilege along with values like morality, generosity, and proper etiquette. Upholding this image is important to Fogg and…
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